The present invention relates to an unfoldable and refoldable antenna reflector with support ribs which are linked to a support body, are distanced from the latter approximately radially in the unfolded position, carrying a reflector screen or mesh or a reflector foil and can be tilted up for refolding.
Such an antenna reflector is known from DE-OS No. 33 38 937. This involves an antenna reflector which can be used preferably for space travel and must be capable of being folded up in a small space in the storage space of the support rocket for the purpose of transporting. The antenna reflector therefore consists substantially of a central support body, to which rigid support ribs are linked which, in the unfolded condition, point radially outward and can be tilted up when folded together, so that they finally are nearly parallel to each other. To the support ribs, a metallic reflector screen is fastened which in the folded condition is brought into the desired, usually parabolic shape by means of adjusting devices.
In principle, a metallic or metalized reflector foil can, of course, also be used in such an antenna reflector instead of a reflector screen, although this is usually avoided for weight reasons. Therefore, only reflector screens will be mentioned in the following also as substitutes for reflector foils.
In a known antenna reflector of the above-mentioned type, the difficulty is now frequently encountered to accommodate the reflector screen in the very small space still remaining between the support ribs when refolding from the unfolded condition. It is to be noticed here that such antenna reflectors can have considerable diameters in the unfolded condition, so that antenna screens with correspondingly large areas must be used. To stow them away between the tilted-up support ribs in an orderly manner causes considerable difficulties, especially if done by hand. Finally, the reflector screen must be folded together between the support ribs in a small space in such a manner that it is not hung up at the support ribs or adjusting elements and can be unfolded again properly at any time. This problem has not been solved to date in a satisfactory manner.